Marker



March 31, 1936. C, ECKARD ET AL 2,035,694

MARKER Filed June lO, 1955 z' a D. g sk/@ a @fyi Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED stares AT ENT 2,035,694 MARKER.

Charles Eckard and Walter Barezewski, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 10,

10- Claims.

This. invention relates. to a marking, panel. and

container therefor suitable for marking the.

boundary or guide lines of an athletic eld or the yard lines of a football gridiron An object of the invention is to provide a. disappearing. line. marker..

Another object is to provide a disappearing marking panel having, a container permanently established. and secure against 'unauthorized removal.

A Other and further. objects. of the. invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being4 had to the accompanying drawing, in.

Fig. 1 is a plan View in elevation of. a football field showing one form ofV installation of marking panels and containers therefor.

Fig..2 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of a marking panelA and. container embodying our invention.

Fig. 3 is` a. plan view partly in elevation and.

partly i'n section on lines 3-3 of Fig.A 2.

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary side view in elevation of the top po-rtion of the container partially broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view in section on lines 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I0 refers to a panel on. which indices I'I, are shown. In the preferred. form,

the panel I0 is constructed of rubber or. other resilient material, as are the letters, II, which are attached thereto and present a raised surface. The panel is p-referably tapered in, cross section, with the widest portion thereof at its.

lower edge. The upper corners- I2 and I3l and the edges I4, I5 and I5, are preferably beveled or rounded" for safety. At the upper edge, I5, of panel I0, is a pull handle I1, having legs, I8, slidable in the angle means or plates ISQ, and provided with detents, 28, for preventing complete removal of the handle from plates I9. A

recess at 2I is provided in. order that handle I1` will drop into the upper edge, I5, of plate. I0, when not in. use.

The lower end of panel, I9, has a metal skirt,

The container 21 is formed of two plates 28 and 29, provided with a plurality of embossments 312i,` as a strengthening means, and with -the lower edges. 3`I., outwardly bent at right 1935, serial No. 25,770

angles to form horizontally aligned flanges, tov Which is secured the base plate 32, which latter may be of any necessary width asa means of securing the container in the ground against unauthorized removal.

Plates 28 and 29 are connected at the vertical side edges thereof by the channels- 33 and 34, and fastened thereto by threaded or other means, 35. Channels are vertically disposed, having the closed sides thereof on the outside. nels 24, together with the adjacent portions of panel I0 are cut away at 36 thereof to house the coil expansion springs 31 and the detent balls. 38.

The side plates 28 and 29, are bent outwardly Chan- 10 at 39 and 40 tovform` with the channel 4I, the l5 plates 28. and: 2.9., disposed so as to have the ver- 20 tical portions` 46 thereof xed against the par.- allel with said plates, and the horizontal portions 41 extendingoutwardly from the bottom edges of said` vertical portions. The horizontal portions have' extensions 48 on` which is fixed by 25 threaded or other means, 49, the plate` 59,v containing any suitable.- locking means, 5I, having a bolt 52. The horizontal portion 41 of angle member 44 has fixed thereon. by threaded or other means, 53, the guide string hook or pin 54. 30

The side top edges of plates 28 and 29, where they form the compartment 42, are turned inwardly to form the detents 55 as also is the top edge of channel 4I to form the detent 55. The

cover member 43. has the top portion 51, the 35 downwardly extending frontal portion 58, slotted at 59 thereof to receive the bolt 52., the downwardly extending side portions 60, and the rearwardly extending end portion 6I, which is enlarged to prevent the removal thereof from 40 compartment 42 and is kepttherein by means of the detents 55 and 53. The cover member 43 has a water-proof lining 62 for sealing the same against the upper edges of the container. One

of the end channels 2.4 is slotted at 63- thereof 45 to ,form a keeper for the bolt 52, thus locking the panel in its upper extended position. The side channels 33 and 34 of the container are provided adjacent the upper ends with recesses 64 for the reception of the detent balls 38 when 50 said panel is in its upper and locking position.

In use, the container is permanently placed in the ground with its upper or cover edge adjacentv the surface-thereof, and in the case of a football gridiron, this would be at the end of a yard line.. 55

It is intended that a marker shall be placed at each end of each yard line as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and so positioned that a line, when attached at each end to hooks 54 of oppositely disposed markers, would be an exact guide for the use of a yard line limedepositing device. When the marker is not in use, it `may be removed from the container shown and stored elsewhere, or, it may be kept lowered in the container with the cover member 43 closed and locked. When it is decided to use the marker, as when a game is being played, the lock 5l is opened, withdrawing the bolt 52 and freeing the locking end of cover member 43 so that it may be raised and the entire cover member slid into the auxiliary compartment 39. Protruding edges of the frontal portion 5B are disposed at the sides thereof, adapted to be manually returned to closed position when necessary, When the cover 43 has been placed Within the compartment 42, the

handle I1 may be pulled up and by this means the panel may be brought up to the point where the detent balls 38, under pressure of springs 31, will lodge within the recesses 64, thus maintaining it in proper position.V At this point also the locking means`5l may be used to prevent interference with the marker. The rounded edges and corners of the panel ID will prevent injury to any players who might come into contact with it, and this factor of safety will be augmented by the resilient character of the material used in the panel and the raised letters thereof.

It will be understood that the device is capable of various modifications in structure and design Without departing from therspirit of the invention, all within the scope of the appended claims. Q

,Having thus described our invention, whatwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. In a device of the class described, a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with thesurface thereof, a base plate attached to the bottom thereof to prevent removal thereof from the ground, a panel freely slidable in said container and releasable means on said panel engageable with means in the *container tomaintain it in withdrawn relationship to the latter.

2. In a device of the class described,.a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with the surface thereof, a exible panel freely slidable therein, a metal skirt covering th'e lower portion of said panel and means on said skirt engageable with means in the container for holding said panel at a predetermined height.

3. In a device of the class described, a con-V tainer adapted for positioning in the ground y with its upper open end level with the surfac'e thereof, a flexible panel freely slidable therein, a metal skirt covering the lower portion of said panel, means on said skirt engageable with means in the container for holding said panel at a predetermined height, and releasable locking means for the panel in said position.

4. In a device of the class described, a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with the surface thereof, a flexible panel slidable therein, handle means on the top of said panfel, a metal skirt covering the bottom of said panel and releasable means in said skirt for engaging with means in apanel slidable therein, indicia onsaid panel, a

handle for withdrawing said panel, an auxiliary compartment vertically disposed on the side of 'said container, and a cover for said container slidable into said auxiliary compartment.

7. In a device of the class described, a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with the surface thereof, horizontal embossments on the side walls of said container f or strengthening the same, a base plate attached to the bottom thereof to prevent removal thereof from the ground, a coverV for said container, a vertical auxiliary compartment on one end of said container adapted to receive said cover, a panel slidable in Y walls of said container for strengtheningrthe.

same, a base plate attached to the bottom thereof to prevent removal thereof from the ground, a cover for said container, a vertical auxiliary compartment on one end of said container adapted to receive said cover, a panel slidable in said container, a metal skirt for said panel, endchannels secured to said skirt protruding below the panel to provide legs therefor, releasable spring means in said end channels, means in said container adapted to engage therewith to maintain the panel in a predetermined position, and releasable locking means for the panel in its withdrawn position.

9. In a device of the class described, a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with the surface thereof, a cover for said container, a panel slidable in said container for withdrawal to a predetermined height, a vertical auxiliary compartment on an end of said container adapted to receive said cover when the panel is withdrawn and locking means on said container for securing the cover in closed position and for maintaining said panel in withdrawn relation.

V10. In a device ofthe class described, a container adapted for positioning in the ground with its upper open end level with the surface thereof, a cover for said container, a panel slidable in said container for withdrawal to a predetermined height, a vertical auxiliary compartment on an end of saidcontainer adapted to receive said cover when the panel is withdrawn and releasable locking means on vsaid container for securing the cover in closed position and for 

